This invention relates to the field of rotating toys. More specifically, this invention relates to a spinning top or member and means or impeller for propelling it. The propelling means contains a rotatable portion which can be placed into frictional or mechanical contact with the top to start the top spinning and to maintain its spinning motion. The propelling means can be readily disengaged from the stationary or spinning top. The propelling means may be hand activated or may be powered by an electric motor.
Spinning tops of one kind or another have been known since ancient times, and have been used as a plaything and as a game device in virtually all cultures and countries. An extensive discussion of the multifaceted spinning top is provided by D. W. Gould in his treatise, "The Top: Universal Toy, Enduring Pastime" (Clarkson N. Potter, Inc./Publisher, New York, 1973; distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc.). That book provides a detailed treatment of the history, ethnology, archaeology and science of spinning tops. Tops have also been the subject of many U.S. and foreign patents.
In a general physics context, a top can refer to any spinning object; in the context of a toy, one of the most common forms of a top is in the general shape of a cone of circular cross-section that rotates about its axis of symmetry while it rests on its pointed tip.
Various means have been devised for starting the top to spin and for maintaining its spinning motion once the spinning has started. Perhaps the simplest way for initiating the spinning of a top is to hold it tightly between one's hands, with its tip pointing downwards. Then by rapidly moving one's hands in opposite directions in a generally horizontal motion, while pressing tightly against the side of the top, the top is released with a spinning motion which will maintain it spinning on the ground or other surface for some time. Some tops, typically smaller ones, may have a narrow shaft centrally projecting from their upper surface. This allows such tops to be spun by holding the shaft between one's thumb and middle finger with the tip of the top pointing downwards, and releasing the top with a spinning motion imparted to it from one's finger and thumb.
Another common way for initiating the spinning motion is by wrapping a segment of string around the body of the top, without tying the string to the top. The top is held in one's hand while the free end of the string is held tightly in the same hand. The top is then thrown swiftly away from one's body with its tip pointing downwards and while maintaining a tight grip on the string. The top must unwind from the string as it departs from the user, and is thereby forced to rotate about its axis of symmetry. The top retains this rotational momentum when it hits the ground and continues to spin for some time.
An alternative method for initiating the spinning motion is to releasably retain the properly oriented top in a special holder or launcher while the string is wrapped around the top. The string is pulled rapidly, thereby causing the top to rotate within the special holder; the spinning top is then released from its holder and continues to spin on its own.
Because of friction between the top and the air, and between the tip of the top and the surface upon which it is spinning, the spinning top will soon dissipate its kinetic energy, slow down, topple over and stop. However, if additional energy is supplied from an internal or an external source to compensate for the dissipative frictional losses of energy, the top can be maintained in spinning motion indefinitely. One of the classic methods for sustaining the rotational motion of a top is embodied in the so-called whipping top. In this device the top is whipped using a cord attached to the end of a stick. In the whipping process the string wraps around the body of the top and when the whip is retracted with a sudden jerk the rapid unwinding of the string imparts rotational momentum to the top. Continued whipping of the top sustains its rotational energy and can maintain the top's spinning motion indefinitely.
Other means for initiating the spinning of a top and/or for maintaining its rotational motion have also been devised. For example, La Falce, In U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,362, describes the use of an elongated arm attached to the end of a stick (the complete device being in the form of an inverted "T") with "resilient fingers" or spikes projecting from said arm. The top is stroked with the horizontal arm of this inverted "T" device wherein the projecting spikes engage with vertically disposed corrugations on the side of the top; this induces spinning of the top, or, if the top is already spinning, it helps to sustain that motion. Mordan in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,393,796 and 2,449,405 describes air-propelled spinning tops. Another top driven by the release of a compressed material is described by Peabody in U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,418. A top containing electric motors mounted .therein and powered by an external power supply is described by Sheneman in U.S. Pat. No. 1,856,514. Brown, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,317, describes spinning top wherein the motor and the battery are mounted within the body of the top itself. Hellman, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,574, describes a top that is driven by a cable connected thereto at its upper central point, said cable being rotated by connection at its opposite end to an electrically driven motor. Endris, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,446, and Pawelka et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,142, describe means for initiating the spinning of a top by disengagingly attaching the top to a handheld spinning motor and dislodging the top from the motor when a high speed of rotation has been achieved. Both of the latter two patents incorporate embodiments that involve magnetic coupling between the top and the motorized unit. These devices, however, are not suitable for maintaining the spinning motion of the released top. Noda, in U.S. Pat. No, 3,623,262, describes another means for initiating the rotation of a top also by disengagingly connecting it to a motor driven unit. The motorized unit in this case also contains a rotating, or "energizing" disc that, after reversing its initial direction of rotation, can be used to drive the top by touching said energizing disc against the side of the spinning top.
Some of the tops described in the above-cited patents involve rather complicated electromechanical mechanisms. Some, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,446 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,142, describe means for initiating the spinning motion but do not provide means for sustaining such spinning motion. Noda (U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,262) describes means for initiating the spinning motion, and also for sustaining the motion. However, that device, as presented in the patent, requires reversal of the direction of the spinning motor from its original direction of rotation in order to be used for maintaining the spinning motion of the top. The device of Noda involves contact between the side of the top and an oppositely rotating energizing disc. Such sideways contact can cause unwanted displacement of the top and obviates the ability to accurately control the position of the spinning top on its supporting surface. A commercially available (Sargent-Welch Scientific co., Skokie, Ill., 1987-88 Catalogue; Central Scientific Company, Franklin Park, Ill., 1987-88 Catalogue) device known as a "Gyrospinner" is used to rapidly impart high rotational speeds to gyroscopes. The gyrospinner consists of a motor-driven rotor which is contacted with the rim of the gyroscope wheel which is then forced to rotate in the opposite direction to that of the gyrospinner rotor. The device of Hellman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,574) allows the user to control the position of the spinning top, but this involves connecting the top to a hand-held cable.
Tops may be operated on the floor (indoors) or on the ground (outdoors). Alternatively, tops may be operated on a table or other special surface; in this latter case the tops are usually smaller. Tops may be played with in various ways, for example, a single individual may simply play with a top by maintaining it spinning. Alternatively, a group of children may take turns in "driving" a single top. Or a group of children may each play with separate tops to see who can maintain the top in operation for the longest duration, etc. A number of games are also based on the use of spinning tops; some of these games are described by D. W. Gould (cited above; see, for example, pp. 111-114) Sims et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,426 and Gross et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,306 describe games based on spinning tops. A game sold under the tradename "Turbo Tops" by Wham-O Manufacturing Co. (San Gabriel, Calif.) involves four players each with an air-propelled top on a special "plate", the objective being to see which top could knock over the opponent's top and stay in motion for the longest period. A game called Battling Tops(R) is marketed by View Master-Ideal Group, Inc. (Portland, Oreg.). In this game, which can involve two to four players and eight tops, the tops are launched by a mechanical means and collide in the special plate, or arena. The objective of the device is to see whose top wins the "battle". In both of these commercial games the tops are not energized following the initial release by the user.